Safety handle for opening the trunk of a vehicle from inside

ABSTRACT

A safety handle for opening a deck lid of a vehicle from inside the trunk compartment includes a handle and a housing having an outer wall and a perimeter surface. The housing defines a recess therein, which is positioned below or behind a plane defined by the perimeter surface of the housing. The handle is positioned in the recess and includes a handle portion and a shaft portion which defines a pivot axis of the handle. The shaft portion is pivotably mounted to the housing whereby said handle portion is positioned within the recess and below the plane defined by the perimeter surface such that the handle is pivotable within the recess. The handle is connectable to the release mechanism of the deck lid and pivotable to actuate the release mechanism to open the deck lid of the trunk.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 09/605,233,filed Jun. 28, 2000 by Jonathan E. DeLine et al., entitled SAFETY HANDLEFOR TRUNK OF VEHICLE, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,261, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 09/275,565, filed Mar.24, 1999 by Jonathan E. DeLine et al., entitled SAFETY HANDLE FOR TRUNKOF VEHICLE, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,086,131, issued Jul. 11, 2000, which arehereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a handle for opening a door to acompartment, and more particularly, a handle for opening a deck lid of avehicle from inside the space enclosed by the deck lid.

Typically, the deck lid or door to trunk spaces are opened by a keybeing inserted and turned in a lock cylinder from a position exteriorlyof the deck lid or by a button or lever that is positioned within thepassenger compartment of the vehicle. While it has been suggested that ahandle be placed in the interior of the trunk space, because of numerousdifficulties, to date, vehicle manufacturers have not included a devicespecifically for opening the trunk from the inside of the trunk space.Even fold down rear seats, which are common in many vehicles today,cannot be folded down from within the trunk space. Although placement ofa release mechanism in the trunk space has been suggested in the priorart, no commercially acceptable mechanism or device has been developed.Therefore, if a person is within the trunk space when the deck lid isclosed, there is no way for a person to open the deck lid and get out ofthe trunk.

When the deck lid is closed, the space within the trunk is typicallysmall and very dark. Although a light source is typically provided in atrunk to provide light to the trunk space when the trunk space is open,these lights are deactivated when the trunk is closed, in order toprevent excessive drain on the battery of the vehicle. Therefore, when aperson is trapped within a trunk, it is nearly impossible to seeanything within the trunk, such that even if a release mechanism wereoperable within the trunk, a person would not be able to find themechanism after the deck lid had been closed. Furthermore, due to thecramped and tight space within a trunk, a person's movements to reachand operate a release mechanism are extremely restricted.

This inability to open a trunk of a vehicle from inside the trunk spacehas unfortunately lead to many injuries and even deaths over the years.When the deck lid is closed, the interior space of the trunk may reachextreme temperatures during the summer time, such that a person can onlysurvive therein for a short period of time. Typically, these injuriesand deaths occur to children, who enter the trunk to either play or hideand then trap themselves within the trunk by closing the deck lid.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for an interior trunk releasemechanism which is highly visible under minimal lighting conditions suchas when the deck lid of the trunk is closed. Furthermore, the releasemechanism should be easily recognizable and operable even by children,and should avoid damage or deterioration of existing vehicle systemssuch as the battery or electrical system while remaining operable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is intended to provide a mechanical apparatus foractivating a release mechanism for a deck lid of a trunk of a vehiclefrom within the interior space of the trunk.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, an apparatus isadapted for use in opening a deck lid of a vehicle and is positionablewithin a compartment substantially enclosed by the deck lid. Theapparatus comprises a handle for activating a release mechanism foropening the compartment which is of a bright color and in contrast to abackground upon which it is installed. Preferably, the color is selectedto convey a safe and friendly image to a child, such as a yellow orbright green color.

Preferably, the apparatus includes at least one illumination sourcewhich is at least occasionally activated to provide illumination of thehandle, and a control circuit for at least temporarily activating the atleast one illumination source when the deck lid is closed. The controlcircuit activates the at least one illumination source in response to anoccurrence of an activating event.

In one form, the illumination source is at least one light emittingdiode which provides either direct or indirect illumination to thehandle of the present invention. The illumination source is temporarilyactivated upon closure of the deck lid and may be further activated upona second activating event, such as movement of the handle or detectionof a person or animal within the trunk space by a motion detector ortemperature sensor or the like.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the apparatusincludes a handle, an illumination source and a control circuit. Thehandle is interconnected to a release mechanism of the compartment andat least partially provides a mechanical advantage such that the releasemechanism may be activated upon exertion of less than 20 Newtons in apredetermined direction on the handle. The illumination source providesillumination to the handle and is activated by the control circuit uponan occurrence of an activating event.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an apparatusis adapted for use in opening a compartment of a vehicle and ispositionable within the compartment and substantially enclosed by a lid.The lid is openable by an electrically controlled latch. The apparatusis adapted to activate the latch in response to an activation of theapparatus.

In one form, the apparatus includes an electromechanical device whichactivates the latch when at least a portion of the device is moved.Preferably, the electromechanical device is a button and the activationis a pressing of the button.

Therefore, the present invention provides a trunk release apparatuswhich is easily recognizable and operable by a child, as children arethe ones typically harmed by being trapped in a trunk. The releaseapparatus is easy to activate and is preferably a bright friendly colorso as not to frighten or confuse a child who may be trapped within thetrunk. Furthermore, an illumination source is preferably provided toincrease the visibility of the release mechanism. The illuminationsource should only be activated for a limited period of time in order toprevent excessive drain on the battery of the vehicle.

These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of thisinvention will become apparent upon review of the followingspecification in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a deck lid of a vehicle incorporatingthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the present invention prior to itbeing installed in the vehicle;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the housing and handle of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4a is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along line IVA—IVAin FIG. 3;

FIG. 4b is an enlarged view of the area labelled IVB in FIG. 4a;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the control circuit of the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now specifically to the drawings and the illustrativeembodiments depicted therein, there is shown in FIG. 1 a safety releaseapparatus or assembly 10, which includes a handle 12 which isinterconnected to a release mechanism 14 for opening a deck lid or trunklid or door 16 of a trunk or storage compartment or space 18 of avehicle 20. The vehicle 20 may be a sedan, coupe or even a hatchback orthe like, which includes a trunk or storage compartment or space 18substantially enclosed by a deck lid or door 16, such as a trunk or thelike. Handle 12 of safety release apparatus 10 is interconnected withrelease mechanism 14 of deck lid 16 such that release mechanism 14 isactivated, and deck lid 16 subsequently opened, in response to amovement of handle 12. Safety release apparatus 10 is mounted on aninterior surface 16 a of either the deck lid 16 or elsewhere withintrunk 18, so as to allow an operator of safety apparatus 10 to open thetrunk from within trunk space 18. Most preferably, safety releaseapparatus 10 is mounted on a downward extending portion or waterfall 16b of deck lid 16, as shown in FIG. 1. However, clearly safety releaseapparatus 10 may be mounted elsewhere within trunk space 18 of vehicle20, such as on a side wall of the trunk space or the like, withoutaffecting the scope of the present invention.

Handle 12 of the present invention is preferably injection molded from aresinous polymeric material such as polycarbonate/PBT orpolycarbonate/ABS or the like and includes a long handle portion 12 aand a shaft portion 12 b (FIG. 4a), which provides for a pivot axis 22of handle 12. However, handle 12 may alternatively be a switch, pushbutton or any other electromechanical device which may be electronicallyinterconnected to an electronic latch mechanism, such that movement ofat least a portion of the device releases the release mechanism in orderto open the trunk. Handle 12 is designed and formed so as to be easilyrecognizable as an opening device for a door or the like, and further isformed with rounded edges along the handle portion 12 a so as to make ita comfortable handle for a child or other occupant within the trunk tograsp and operate. Handle 12 may further include text or a picture on afacing surface 12 c to convey to an operator of handle 12 that handle 12is for opening the trunk. Furthermore, the color of handle 12 isselected to be a “friendly” color for children, so that any small childwhich may become trapped within trunk space 18 will not fear the handleas being something that is hot or otherwise harmful to touch.Preferably, the color selected is a bright green or yellow, which hasbeen shown to convey a bright yet “friendly” or cool to touch appearanceto the handle. It is important that the handle be child friendly so thateven the smallest and youngest children who may be trapped within thetrunk will not be afraid to operate the handle 12.

By providing a light color which does not convey an image of heat orotherwise harmful material, the handle 12 of the present invention ismore likely to be grasped and operated by small children than a handlewhich may otherwise be of a “harmful” color, such as red or orange,which a child may believe is hot to touch. In order to make handle 12more visible in minimum lighting conditions, handle 12 is alsopreferably mounted adjacent to a background 24 that is of asubstantially darker color than handle 12, so as to provide a starkcontrast between the handle and its background for better visibility ofthe handle in minimal lighting conditions. The background 24 may be asurface of a housing 28 for safety release assembly 10 or may be aninterior surface of the trunk space 18 or deck lid 16 itself.

Safety release apparatus 10 preferably is installed within a housing 28,which is secured within trunk space 18 such that handle 12 is positionedwithin a recess 30 of housing 28. Housing 28 is preferably injectionmolded from a resinous polymeric material such as polycarbonate/PBT orpolycarbonate/ABS or the like and may be black or another dark color.Housing 28 functions to protect handle 12 from being bumped or damagedby items which may be stored within trunk space 18 of vehicle 20. Notonly does this prevent damage to handle 12 or other components of safetyrelease apparatus 10, but housing 28 also substantially precludes thepossibility of handle 12 being accidentally contacted and moved by thestored items so as to prevent unintentional opening of trunk space 18.

As best shown in FIGS. 2-4a, housing 28 includes a substantially flatand outward extending flange 32 along its rearward end and a raised,perimeter or front surface 33. Flange 32 allows for easy installation ofthe present invention, as fasteners or adhesive or the like may beinserted through or applied to flange 32 and then secured to an interiorsurface of either deck lid 16 or other interior surface of the trunkspace 18 of the vehicle 20. Clearly, the safety release mechanism 10 maybe installed on a vehicle during the assembly of the vehicle by themanufacturer, or may be installed later as an after market unit, withoutaffecting the scope of the present invention.

Handle 12 is preferably positioned within recess 30 of housing 28 belowor behind the plane of perimeter surface 33 such that the handle maypivot about its axis 22 within recess 30. Perimeter surface 33 helpsprotect handle 12 from stored items within trunk or compartment 18, andhelps prevent accidental activation of handle 12. Recess 30 may alsoinclude at least one stop 30 a, which limits rotational travel of handle12 within a predetermined range. Preferably, as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, handle 12 includes a cylindrical bearing or barrel section 35 whichhas longitudinally extending sections 35 a separated by slots which aregenerally parallel to the pivot axis 22 of handle 12. The slots allowthe longitudinal sections 35 a to flex inward as shaft 12 b is insertedinto opening 28 a in housing 28. Barrel section 35 may also include aplurality of resilient, angled flange or tabs 35 b formed at a free end35 c of longitudinal sections 35 a and extending radially outwardlytherefrom. Tabs 35 b each have an inclined outer edge or surface 35 dand a substantially flat, planar edge 35 e extending generallyperpendicular to axis 22 when handle 12 is mounted in opening 28 a. Asshaft 12 b is inserted into opening 28 a, the inclined surfaces 35 d oftabs 35 b engage the opening 28 a and cam the sections 35 a inwardly andguide insertion of barrel section 35 through opening 28 a. As tabs 35 bprotrude through opening 28 a, flat edges 35 e engage an interiorsurface 28 e of housing 28 adjacent opening 28 a so as to snap fithandle 12 into housing 28. This allows handle 12 to be easily rotatedwithin opening 28 a, yet substantially precludes handle 12 from beingpulled outward from opening 28 a.

Additionally, a biasing member 34 such as a torisional spring or thelike (FIG. 5), may be provided about shaft 12 b of handle 12 in order tobias handle 12 in an initial position. Biasing member 34 preferably ispositioned around a lower end 37 of handle shaft 12 b, such that one end34 a of biasing member 34 engages a stop tab 34 b on housing 28 andanother end 34 c engages a slot 37 a along lower portion 37 of shaft 12b. This substantially fixes both ends 34 a and 34 c of biasing member 34so that rotational movement of handle 12 about axis 22 winds thetorisional spring, which then provides a rotational force on shaft 12 bto return handle 12 to its initial position.

Preferably, handle 12 is interconnected to release mechanism 14 by alever 36 and a cable 38, as best shown in FIG. 5. The lever 36 isattached to lower portion 37 of shaft 12 b, which extends downward fromhandle 12 a through barrel section 35 and is of a lesser diameter thanbarrel section 35. Lower portion 37 is substantially non-circular at itsfree end and includes slot 37 a extending longitudinally along its axis22. Slot 37 a allows lower portion 37 to flex inward for attachment oflever 36 thereto and further provides for the end 34 c of biasing member34, as discussed above. An annular groove 37 b may also be includedaround lower portion 37 for securing lever 36 thereto.

As best shown in FIGS. 4a and 4 b, lever 36 is preferably asubstantially straight lever arm, which includes an opening 40 at oneend 36 a through which lower portion 37 of shaft 12 b is inserted, suchthat lever 36 is fixedly secured to shaft 12 b of handle 12. Lever 36may include angled tabs 40 a protruding inwardly at opening 40 to engagea corresponding lip 37 c along groove 37 b of shaft 12 b, therebysnapping lever 36 onto lower portion 37 to prevent lever 36 from beingremoved from shaft 12 b. Tabs 40 a of lever 36 function similarly totabs 35 b of barrel section 35 as they engage lip 37 c and prevent lever36 from being removed from shaft 12 b. As lower portion 37 of shaft 12 bis inserted through opening 40 in lever 36, tabs 40 a cam lower portion37 inward, as slot 37 a allows lower portion 37 to flex inwardly, untiltabs 40 a snap into groove 37 b.

Preferably, both opening 40 and lower end 37 of shaft 12 b arecorrespondingly substantially non-circular, such that lever 36 cannotrotate relative to shaft 12 b. More preferably, opening 40 and lowershaft end 37 are substantially square as shown in FIG. 5. At a secondend 36 b of lever 36, there is located an attaching slot 42 or the like,which may be secured to cable 38. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, anunderside of housing 28 provides for a cavity in which lever 36 is alsosubstantially encased, again to prevent damage to the lever and tofurther prevent accidental activation of the release mechanism 14.

Cable 38 preferably comprises an inner cable 38 a and an outer sheath 38b through which inner cable 38 a may travel. At each end 38 c and 38 dof inner cable 38 a is a pin 44 for engaging a corresponding slot orother attaching means. Pin 44 on a first end 38 c of inner cable 38 a issecured to slot 42 on lever 36 while pin 44 on a second end 38 d ofinner cable 38 a is likewise secured to a slot (not shown) on releasemechanism 14. Outer sheath 38 b of cable 38 is secured to housing 28through a cable opening 28 b in one side and to a bracket (not shown)substantially adjacent release mechanism 14. Movement of first end 38 cof inner cable 38 a therefore results in a substantially similar amountof travel of second end 38 d of inner cable 38 a, while cable 38 ismaintained by sheath 3 8 b in a predetermined path between housing 28and release mechanism 14.

When handle 12 a is grasped and pivoted about its pivot axis 22, lever36 is correspondingly pivoted about the same axis 22. As shown in FIG.5, this results in second end 36 b of lever 36 traveling along anarcuate path which causes a linear travel of substantially the samedistance to occur to first end 38 c of inner cable 38 a. As first end 38c travels along the arcuate path, second end 38 d of inner cablelikewise is moved a linear distance substantially equal to the lineartravel of first end 38 c. Safety release assembly 10 is designed suchthat pivoting handle 12 a until handle 12 a is approximately at stop 30a in recess 30 results in a predetermined amount of cable travel incable 38 so as to activate release mechanism 14, thereby opening decklid 16 of vehicle 20. Preferably, this pivot requirement is less thanapproximately a 15 degree rotation of handle 12. Although shown anddescribed as including a lever and cable to activate release mechanism14, clearly the present invention may incorporate other mechanical meansfor interconnecting the handle 12 to the release mechanism 14, withoutaffecting the scope of the present invention. For example, second end 36b of lever 36 may be directly connected to release mechanism 14 or toanother form of linkage, such as an additional lever arm or the like.

Although safety release assembly 10 is shown and described as includinga handle, lever and cable system, it is envisioned that other means ofactivating a release latch or mechanism may be implemented. For example,for a vehicle including an electronically operated latch, the safetyrelease assembly may include an electromechanical device for signalingor activating the latch and thus opening the deck lid. Theelectromechanical device may be a push button, handle or switchpositioned within the trunk space and electronically interconnected withthe latch mechanism, such 30 that activation or movement of the deviceenergizes a solenoid within the latch mechanism or otherwise causes thelatch mechanism to release, thereby opening the trunk. The device may bea bright color and may be easily recognized and operated by a smallchild in accordance with the present invention as discussed above.

Preferably, safety release assembly 10 further includes at least oneillumination source 46 for providing illumination to handle 12, and anelectronic control circuit 48 for at least temporarily activating theillumination source 46 in response to at least one activating event, asdiscussed below. The illumination provided by illumination source 46allows a person who may be trapped within trunk space 18 to see handle12 so as to grasp the handle and open the trunk, as the trunk spacewould otherwise be too dark for a person to see where the handle islocated. This is especially critical when a child is trapped in thetrunk, as a child would not even know to look for such a handle, muchless know where the handle may be positioned within the trunk. Mostpreferably, the light emitted by illumination source 46 will be of lowintensity and a “friendly” color to avoid frightening a child, who maybelieve that the handle is hot if it is illuminated by a bright light orthe like.

Illumination source 46 is thus provided to illuminate handle 12 when thedeck lid 16 of vehicle 20 is closed, as the trunk space 18 becomes verydark when fully enclosed. Preferably, illumination source 46 is at leastone light emitting diode (LED) or other non-incandescent illuminationsource (such as organic or inorganic electroluminescent sources,phosphorescent sources, etc.), as these types of illumination sourcesminimize the drain on the vehicle battery when they are activated, aswell as being highly durable and long-lasting. The LEDs may be selectedto provide illumination in a preferred color, such as green or yellow,and may be selected to draw a minimal amount of current from the vehiclebattery or the like. Preferably, an LED is selected which draws lessthan about 45 milliamps when activated, and more preferably, the LEDdraws less than or equal to about 30 milliamps when activated. Such LEDsare commercially available, examples being a Hyper-Bright LEDmanufactured by Siemens or other LEDs manufactured by Hewlett-Packard.Most preferably, illumination source 46 is at least two LEDs, so that ifone fails for some unforeseen reason, there is still at least oneadditional LED providing illumination to handle 12. Althoughillumination source 46 is shown and described as an LED or the like,clearly other illumination sources may be provided in varying locationswithin the trunk without affecting the scope of the present invention.For example, illumination source 46 may be within handle portion 12 a ofhandle 12 itself, to provide direct illumination of handle 12.Furthermore, illumination source 46 may be provided by handle 12 beingmade out of a highly visible and glowing phosphorus material or thelike. Alternatively, illumination source 46 may be an incandescentsource, such as a filament lamp, a halogen lamp, a neon lamp, or thelike. Preferably, illumination source 46 may also serve as the standardtrunk light, which is normally activated when the trunk or deck lid isopened, thereby providing light to the entire trunk space when the trunkis closed.

As shown in FIGS. 4a and 5, illumination source 46 is most preferablylocated on a circuit board or chip 50 containing control circuit 48, andis substantially encased along with control circuit 48 within housing 28in order to prevent damage to illumination source 46 or control circuit48 by items stored within the trunk. Illumination source 46 may projectlight through at least one slot or opening 52 in a side wall 30 b ofrecess 30 such that illumination source 46 is directed toward handleportion 12 a of handle 12. Handle portion 12 a may also be twisted orangled such that the facing surface 12 c of handle portion 12 a isangled toward illumination source 46 in order to receive and reflectillumination from illumination source 46 over a greater surface area. Aremovable access panel 28 c (FIG. 2) may also be included on housing 28to provide for easy access for installation and maintenance of bothcontrol circuit 48 and illumination source 46 within a cavity 28 dformed by housing 28. Preferably, control circuit 48 is snap fit onto aninterior side 30 c of side wall 30 b such that illumination source 46 isaligned with slot 52. Control circuit 48 further includes a wiringharness and connector 60 for connecting control circuit 48 to a powersource located on vehicle 20, such as the vehicle battery or the like.

Control circuit 48 functions to activate illumination source 46 upon anoccurrence of an activating event. The activating event may be theclosing of deck lid 16 and/or the closing or folding back of anyfold-down rear seats which may be present in vehicle 20. For example, asshown in FIG. 6, vehicle 20 may include a trunk closure sensor 54 and/ora seat sensor 56 to provide a signal to control circuit 48 when thetrunk is closed or the seats are folded to their upright position,thereby enclosing trunk space 18. Preferably, control circuit 48 alsofunctions to deactivate illumination source 46 after a period of timefollowing the activating event. For example, control circuit 48 mayinclude a timer or other timing mechanism 58 which triggers deactivationof illumination source 46 after a predetermined period of time, such asthirty minutes or an hour, has elapsed following the initial activationof illumination source 46. Control circuit 48 continues to reset andreactivate illumination source 46 upon subsequent occurrences of one ormore activating events, following deactivation of illumination source 46after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

Referring to FIG. 6, control circuit 48 may also activate illuminationsource 46 in response to additional activating events, such as anignition switch 62 of vehicle 20 being activated, a door sensor 64signaling that a door of vehicle 20 is being opened or closed or otherfunctions of vehicle 20 which pertain to the entering or leaving ofvehicle 20 or movement of the vehicle. Safety release assembly 10 mayfurther include a motion detector or sensor 66 (such as a pyro detector,preferably a low current pyro detector) and/or a temperature sensor 68such as a bolometer within trunk space 18, so as to provide a signal tocontrol circuit 48 when a movement or predetermined temperature of anobject in trunk space 18 is detected. The present invention may alsoinclude a handle sensor 70 which detects movement of handle 12 toprovide an additional signal to control circuit 48. Control circuit 48may then, in response to a signal from the motion detector 66, thetemperature sensor 68, or the handle sensor 70, activate illuminationsource 46 to provide illumination of handle 12 in trunk space 18.Furthermore, in response to such signals, which convey a message that aperson or animal may be entrapped within trunk space 18, control circuit48 may activate other additional auxiliary signals or displays. Forexample, control circuit 48 may activate an alarm 72, a horn 74, anauxiliary light 76 elsewhere on vehicle 20, a door or trunk lock or lockrelease 78 of vehicle 20, an auxiliary message display 80, which may bewithin vehicle 20 or remote from the vehicle, or the like, in order toprovide an operator or anyone else within the vicinity of vehicle 20information pertaining to a person or animal being entrapped within thetrunk space 18 of the vehicle. The alarm 72, auxiliary light 76, horn74, message display 80, lock system 78 or the like may be activated upona first detection of motion or temperature within trunk space 18, or mayalternatively be activated upon a second, third, or fourth occurrence ofsuch detections. The number of detections required prior to an alarm orthe like being activated by control circuit 48 are preferably resetfollowing an opening and closing of deck lid 16 or a folding down of arear seat within vehicle 20, if applicable.

When installed in the vehicle, the present invention therefore providesfor illumination source 46 to be activated for a period of timefollowing closure of the trunk and/or a folding of rear seats of vehicle20. While the illumination source 46 is activated, a child or otherperson that may be entrapped within trunk space 18 will be able toeasily see and identify handle 12. Because it is difficult for a personto move about within the small trunk space of a typical vehicle, andbecause typically it is a very small child that may be entrappedtherein, the present invention also provides a handle 12 which is veryeasily pivoted about its axis so as to open deck lid 16 of vehicle 20.Preferably, handle 12, lever 36 and cable 38 cooperate to allow releasemechanism 14 of deck lid 16 to be opened with only a minimal amount offorce being applied to handle portion 12 a. The force required to pivothandle 12 about its pivot axis 22, thereby activating release mechanism14 of deck lid 16, is preferably less than or equal to about 20 Newtonsapplied in a direction substantially perpendicular to the handle portion12 a. More preferably, the force required to open deck lid 16 is lessthan or equal to about 15 Newtons and most preferably, the forcerequired is less than or equal to about 10 Newtons. A person who istrapped within trunk space 18, upon identifying the handle 12 as a meansin which to open the trunk of the vehicle, merely grasps the handle andeasily pivots the handle, which subsequently activates release mechanism14 of vehicle 20 as discussed above. Once release mechanism 14 isactivated, the trunk may be easily pushed open so as to allow the personto get out of the trunk.

An alternate embodiment of the present invention provides for a module,which includes a handle, illumination source, control circuit, andhousing similar to those discussed above, and further includes a licenseplate holder and lock cylinder for the deck lid which are positioned onan exterior surface of the deck lid. This embodiment may also include anexterior handle such that the trunk may be opened from outside withouthaving to insert a key within the lock cylinder or otherwise enter thevehicle to release the trunk release lever from within the vehicle. Themodule is installed through an opening in the trunk lid and preferablyincludes a lock cylinder and release mechanism for opening the trunk.

Therefore, the present invention provides a safety release apparatus foropening a deck lid or trunk of a vehicle from inside the trunk space.The apparatus of the present invention is easy to install in thevehicle, and is easily recognized and operated by a small child that maybecome trapped within the trunk of the vehicle. The color and intensityof the handles and illumination are selected to convey a friendly,non-hot appearance to the handle, such that a child will easily see thehandle and not be afraid to grasp the handle in order to open the trunk.Furthermore, the control circuit of the present invention activates theillumination source or other auxiliary signal in response to anactivating event and deactivates the illumination source after a periodof time in order to minimize the overall drain on the vehicle battery.The illumination source is also selected to be a non-incandescentdevice, such as an LED or the like, which is highly durable and longlasting, yet requires a minimal amount of energy from the battery of thevehicle, even while it is activated. Although the illumination sourceand control circuit of the present invention require connection to anelectrical power source in order to provide illumination to the handleof the present invention, no electrical power is required to operate thehandle and thus release the release mechanism in order to open the trunkof the vehicle. The handle, lever, cable and release mechanism are allmechanical devices, such that the trunk may be opened even when there isa power loss to the vehicle itself. Furthermore, even if power is lostto the vehicle, the color of the handle is preferably selected to be alight bright color, and starkly contrasts the background on which thehandle is installed so as to remain visible in very low lightconditions.

Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments canbe carried out without departing from the principles of the invention,which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the pending claims,as interpreted to the principles of patent law.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property right orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A safety trunk releaseunit for use in opening a deck lid of a vehicle, said safety trunkrelease unit being positionable within a trunk substantially enclosed bythe deck lid, the trunk having a release mechanism for opening the decklid, said safety trunk release unit being adapted for operation from theinterior of the trunk when the deck lid is closed and comprising: ahousing having an outer wall and a perimeter surface and at least onemounting element, said perimeter surface being at an opposite portion ofsaid outer wall from said at least one mounting element, said housingdefining a recess therein, said recess being positioned below or behinda plane defined by said perimeter surface of said housing, said at leastone mounting element being configured for securing said housing to aninterior surface of the trunk; and a handle positioned in said recess ofsaid housing, said handle having a handle portion and a shaft portionwhich defines a pivot axis of said handle, said shaft portion beingpivotably mounted in said housing whereby said handle portion ispositioned within said recess below said plane defined by said perimetersurface such that said handle is pivotable about said pivot axis withinsaid recess, said handle being connectable to the release mechanism ofthe deck lid and pivotable about said pivot axis to actuate the releasemechanism to open the deck lid of the trunk.
 2. The safety trunk releaseunit of claim 1, wherein said handle comprises rounded edges along saidhandle portion.
 3. The safety trunk release unit of claim 1, whereinsaid handle portion includes at least one of text and a picture on asurface of said handle portion facing outwardly from said recess.
 4. Thesafety trunk release unit of claim 1, wherein said handle includes abiasing member which biases said handle in an initial position, saidhandle being pivotable away from said initial position to actuate therelease mechanism.
 5. The safety trunk release unit of claim 1, whereinsaid at least one mounting element comprises a mounting flange extendingoutwardly around a perimeter of said outer wall of said housing.
 6. Thesafety trunk release unit of claim 1, wherein said handle iselectrically connectable to the release mechanism.
 7. The safety trunkrelease unit of claim 1, wherein said housing includes a pivot stopwithin said recess which limits pivotal movement of said handle withinsaid recess.
 8. The safety trunk release unit of claim 7, wherein saidpivot stop limits pivotal movement of said handle to less thanapproximately 15 degrees.
 9. The safety trunk release unit of claim 1,wherein said at least one mounting element is mountable to an interiorsurface of the deck lid.
 10. The safety trunk release unit of claim 9,wherein said at least one mounting element is mountable to an interiorsurface of a downward extending portion of the deck lid.
 11. The safetytrunk release unit of claim 1, wherein said handle is connectable to therelease mechanism via an electro-mechanical device.
 12. The safety trunkrelease unit of claim 11, wherein said electro-mechanical devicecomprises a solenoid which is energizable to actuate the releasemechanism in response to movement of said handle.
 13. The safety trunkrelease unit of claim 1, wherein said handle comprises a resinouspolymeric material.
 14. The safety trunk release unit of claim 13,wherein said housing comprises a resinous polymeric material.
 15. Thesafety trunk release unit of claim 1, wherein said handle portioncomprises a cylindrical barrel portion, said cylindrical barrel portionof said handle being pivotally attached to said housing.
 16. The safetytrunk release unit of claim 15, wherein said barrel portion is pivotallyattached to said housing via insertion through an opening in a bottomwall of said recess.
 17. The safety trunk release unit of claim 16,wherein said barrel portion includes a plurality of resilient tabs whichinsert through said opening in said bottom wall of said recess, saidtabs being configured to snap said handle to said housing.
 18. Thesafety trunk release unit of claim 1, wherein said handle ismechanically connectable to the release mechanism, such that movement ofsaid handle causes a corresponding mechanical movement at the releasemechanism.
 19. The safety trunk release unit of claim 18, wherein saidhandle is mechanically connectable to the release mechanism via at leastone of a lever arm and a cable.
 20. The safety trunk release unit ofclaim 19, wherein said lever arm is positioned within a cavity definedby said outer wall of said housing.
 21. A safety trunk release unit foruse in opening a deck lid of a vehicle, said safety trunk release unitbeing positionable within a trunk substantially enclosed by the decklid, the trunk having a release mechanism for opening the deck lid, saidsafety trunk release unit being adapted for operation from the interiorof the trunk when the deck lid is closed and comprising: a housinghaving an outer wall and a perimeter surface, said housing defining arecess therein, said recess being positioned below or behind a planedefined by said perimeter surface of said housing, said housing beingconfigured for securing to an interior surface of the trunk; and ahandle positioned in said recess of said housing, said handle having ahandle portion and a shaft portion which defines a pivot axis of saidhandle, said shaft portion being pivotably mounted in said housingwhereby said handle portion is positioned within said recess below saidplane defined by said perimeter surface such that said handle ispivotable about said pivot axis within said recess, said handle portionincluding at least one of text and a picture on a surface of said handleportion facing outwardly from said recess, said handle being connectableto the release mechanism of the deck lid and pivotable about said pivotaxis to actuate the release mechanism to open the deck lid of the trunk,said handle including a biasing member which biases said handle in aninitial position, said handle being pivotable away from said initialposition to actuate the release mechanism.
 22. The safety trunk releaseunit of claim 21, wherein said housing includes a pivot stop within saidrecess which limits pivotal movement of said handle within said recess.23. The safety trunk release unit of claim 21, wherein said housing ismountable to an interior surface of the deck lid.
 24. The safety trunkrelease unit of claim 21, wherein said housing includes at least onemounting element which is configured for mounting to an interior surfaceof the trunk.
 25. The safety trunk release unit of claim 21, whereinsaid handle is electrically connectable to the release mechanism. 26.The safety trunk release unit of claim 21, wherein said handle isconnectable to the release mechanism via an electro-mechanical device.27. The e safety trunk release unit of claim 26, wherein saidelectro-mechanical device comprises a solenoid which is energizable toactuate the release mechanism in response to movement of said handle.28. The safety trunk release unit of claim 21, wherein said handlecomprises a resinous polymeric material.
 29. The safety trunk releaseunit of claim 28, wherein said housing comprises a resinous polymericmaterial.
 30. The safety trunk release unit of claim 21, wherein saidhandle portion comprises a cylindrical barrel portion, said cylindricalbarrel portion of said handle being pivotally attached to said housing.31. The safety trunk release unit of claim 30, wherein said barrelportion is pivotally attached to said housing via insertion through anopening in a bottom wall of said recess.
 32. The safety trunk releaseunit of claim 31, wherein said barrel portion includes a plurality ofresilient tabs which insert through said opening in said bottom wall ofsaid recess, said tabs being configured to snap said handle to saidhousing.
 33. The safety trunk release unit of claim 21, wherein saidhandle is mechanically connectable to the release mechanism, such thatmovement of said handle causes a corresponding mechanical movement atthe release mechanism.
 34. The safety trunk release unit of claim 33,wherein said handle is mechanically connectable to the release mechanismvia at least one of a lever arm and a cable.
 35. The safety trunkrelease unit of claim 34, wherein said lever arm is positioned within acavity defined by said outer wall of said housing.